A question for those who know/have the classic/"golden era" of turntables: would you give up your current setup for an EMT turntable? Based on my research, EMT is an enclosed system, with dedicated motor unit+tonearm+cartridge, which means (baring dedicated head-shell for classic carts or external pods for external tonearms) that you have to accept it as it is (quite good based on all the feedback online) and give up your tonearms/ carts/ mats/ stabilisers/ etc. I have the option to get an EMT 938 (direct drive, the last/ lightest/ least appreciated in EMT's line), but this means I need to give up my (highly moded) Orbe/SME 309/SME M2-10/Miyajima Takumi/Myiajima Zero and everything else (phono amps even, as I read that the EMT's have dedicated phono amps in the unit itself, made specifically for EMT carts). So.... would you? Thank you!
What condition? When was it last serviced? Is it plug & play? Now you have to look into what cards are in the Pre, meaning, MM/MC. To bad you can't keep both.
This is a beauty! EMT 948 Turntable | Reverb For Years I had a mid 60's Sony TTS 3000a with a Jelco Arm, X5-MC cart. Im sorry I sold it, but it went to a Collector in Norway. He was very excited to get it. These Broadcast tables were rather good.
Thank you both for your replies! I've seen (several times) the anadialog video, I'm getting enthuziastic every time I've bought the EMT 938 in quite a pristine condition, installed the MC card (it came without one) and using an AudioTechnica ART9 in an EMT head-shell (if fits perfectly). Quite an amazing piece of machinery!
There are no grooves in the headshell to move the cart, but I did use the back of the mat to make sure the distances are correct. I'm using 2 AudioTechnica - Art9 for stereo and AT33Mono for mono records:
I've eyeballed that site in the Netherlands where the guy sells restored tables and currently has one of the old tube preamps, not a reproduction. I don't think I've ever heard one. I know somebody who has one--probably a big idler--that I will hear when I get off my ass and go visit. They are beautifully made. I also like the old Thorens Reference. Those older "uber" tables have a certain "mojo" that is lacking in more modern tables. Would I get rid of my big, more modern table? I dunno. Kind of hard to do an in-home demo, right? Certainly not on my list of priorities right now, but I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to buy the right vintage table at a good price. Even though I have no need for more turntables....
